Door latch



....4 man *fr June 13, 1961 Filed April 9, 1959 W. B. WILSON DOOR LATCH June 13, 1961 W, B, WILSON 2,988,389

I DOOR LATCH Filed April 9, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR, wam/vf 5. .4a/50N BY M4K @FaQ/EVS United States Patent f 2,988,389 DOOR LATCH William B. Wilson, 320 Skycrest Road, La Habra Heights,

Calif., assignor of forty percent to Richard A. Livingston, Los Angeles, Calif. j

Filed Apr. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 805,308 6 Claims. (Cl. 292-165) This invention relates to an improved door latch.

It is an object of this invention to provide a latch wherein a minimum of rotation of the door handle is necessary to operate same.

It a further object of this invention to provide a door latch which ts existing lock sets.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a door latch wherein turning of the door knob may be restricted so that undesirable torque is not transmitted to the latch assembly.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a door latch which permits a wide assortment of locks to be utilized therewith.

A further object of this invention is to provide a door latch wherein the friction as well as the number of parts utilized is greatly reduced.

A further object of this invention is to provide a door latch wherein the action on the bolt bracket is a straight line ac-tion, eliminating binding.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a door latch wherein the knob cannot be turned beyond the angle necessary to withdraw the bolt and wherein the knob turns in the neighborhood of around 23 to operate the set and further, wherein the bolt may be retracted a substantial distance.

`Other objects and advantages will be readily apparent from the following description:

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective of a door latch.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the latch embodying this invention taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view =taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional -view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 with the latch in the withdrawn or open position.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective of the casing and one of the caps.

FIGURE 7 is a view taken along line 7-7 of FIG- URE l.

FIGURE 8 is a View vtaken along line 8-8 of FIG- URE 4.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective o-f the latch housing and associated parts.

FIGURE l0 is a perspective of one of the locking levers.

FIGURE ll is a perspective of the actuating member.

A door 20 is recessed to receive latch plate 22 secured therein by screws 24. Plate 22 has a tubular protuberance forming a latch housing 26 within which latch 28 may reciprocate. The latch has an operating bar 3i) secured thereon with a head 32 at its innermost extremity. The latch housing 26 at its innermost extremity is crimped as at 34 forming a seat for spring 36 which bears against latch 28 urging same to the extended position of FIGURE 2. A pair of ears 38 and 40 are formed on latch housing 26 and are flared slightly outwardly.

The door 2t) is provided with a circular bore therethrough which receives casing 42. Casing 42 has a pair of slots 44 and 46 formed therein which receive ears 38 and 40 respectively to hold the casing in place. A pair of inturned guide flanges are formed in casing 42 designated 48 and 50.

2,988,389, Patented June 13, 1961 A pair of locking levers 52 and 54 are mounted in casing 42. For this purpose a cap such as 56 is titted upon each open side of casing 42. The cap is notched as at 58 and 60 to receive anges 62 and 64 of the casing and casing 42 has stileners such as 66 formed therein to provide additional support for caps 56. Each cap has a pair of bores 68 therethrough which receive the reduced shank of a pin 70. Each pin 70 projects through the extremity 72 of one of the locking levers forming a pivotal support therefor. The two caps 56 are held together by screws 74.

Locking levers 52 and 54 are identical and have inturned ilanges 76 formed thereon and an elbow 78 formed therein. The tlange bearing portion of the locking levers it between guide flanges 48 and 50 and the inturned yiianges 76 engage bar 30, see FIG. 2.

Each locking lever has a second ange 80 fonrned thereon which projects inwardly and then down providing a support for operating bar 30 and limits the movement of the locking levers towards one another.

A spring 82 is mounted upon each pin 70 bearing against and urging the locking levers to pivot to the fullest extent permitted, as seen in FIG. 2.

A locking lever actuating member 84 is cylindrical in shape and one is inserted through opening 86 in each cap 55. A stop 88 on the actuating member tits in slot 90 of the cap. A pair of ears 92 and 94 are formed on a member 96 swedged into the cylindrical actuating member. These ears engage locking levers 52 and 54 so that rotation of the actuating member 84 pivots one or the other locking lever.

To rotate the actuating member 84 it is secured to a door knob 98 by any suitable means such as a set screw while escutcheon plate 100 covers the structure giving same a finished appearance.

:In operation one or the other door knobs is rotated. The degree of rotation permitted is limited by the size of slot 90 with respect to smaller stop 88. It has been determined that twenty degrees rotation is suicient to operate the latch.

Rotation of the door knob 98 will rotate the actuator member 84 whereby one of the ears 92 or 94 will engage and pivot its locking lever 52 or 54 whereby the inturned i llange 76 of said lever will engage head .32 on operating bar 30 and withdraw latch 28 within latch housing 26 permitting the door to open. Upon release of the door knob spring 36 returns the latch to the closing position and spring 82 will return the locking levers to the closed position of FIG. 2.

Thus either door knob may be rotated in either direction to operate o'ne or the other of the locking levers to withdraw the latch.

While what hereinbefore has been described as the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is readily apparent that alterations and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the scope o'f this invention and such alterations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A door latch assembly comprising: a latch, an operating bar secured to said latch, a pair of locking levers one on each side of said operating bar, each locking lever formed of two pivotally connected sections, one section of each lever having means thereon for engaging said operating bar when moved in one direction with respect thereto, an actuating member and means on said actuating member which upon rotation of said actuating member engages the remaining section of either of said locking levers to move the operating bar engaging section thereof in a direction to move said operating bar and latch.

2. A door latch assembly comprising: a latch housinglv a latch mounted for reciprocation therein, an operating bar secured to said latch, a casing, a pair o`f locking levers each formed of a pair of pivotally connected sections, one section of each lever being pivotally mounted within said casing, the remaining section of each lever having means thereon for engaging said operating bar when pivoted in one direction and means projecting into said casing for selectively pivoting one or the other of said levers.

3. A do'or latch assembly comprising: a latch housing, a latch mounted for reciprocation therein, an operating bar secured to said latch, Aa casing, a pair of locking levers each formed of a pair of pivotally connected sections, one section of each lever being pivotally mounted within said casing, the remaining section of each lever having means thereon for engaging said operating bar when pivoted in one direction, an actuating member and a pair of ears on said actuating member one of which engages one o'f said locking members upon rotation of said actuating member.

4. A door latch assembly comprising: a latch, an operating bar secured to said latch, a pair of lock-ing levers one on each side of said operating arm, each locking lever formed of two pivotally connected sections, one section of each lever having means thereon for engaging said operating bar when moved in one direction with respect thereto, an actuating member, means on said actuating member which upon rotation of said actuating member engages the remaining section of either of said locking levers to move the operating bar engaging section thereof in a direction to move said operating bar and latch, and stop means limiting rotation of said actuating member.

5. A door latch assembly comprising: 1a vlatch housing, a latch mounted for reciprocation therein, an operating bar secured to said latch, a casing, a pair of locking levers each formed of a pair of pivotally connected sections, o'ne section of each lever being pivotally mounted Within said casing, the remaining section of each lever having means thereon for engaging said operating bar when pivoted in one direction, means projecting into said casing for selectively pivoting one or the other of said levers and stop means on Said casing and said projecting means limiting rotation of said projecting means.

6. A door latch assembly comprising: a latch housing, a latch mounted vfor reciprocation therein, an operating bar secured to said latch, a casing, a pair of locking levers each formed of a pair of pivotally connected sections, one section of each lever being pivotally mounted Within said casing, the remaining section of each lever having means thereon for engaging said operating bar when pivoted in one direction, an actuating member, a pair of ears on said actuating member one of which engages one of said locking members upon rotation of said actuating member and stop means on said casing and actuating member limiting rotation of said actuating member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

